Trying to find a single thread today is difficult, because there's a lot of good stuff to kick around, especially among the blogs. Try these on for size:
Covered in Oil has a nice one on goaltenders' save percentage, noting that seven of 2003-04's top 12 goalies have slipped to the bottom half of the league rankings this season (including Ed Belfour). What's going on here? PM suggests it might be the year off, but I thought that was supposed to extend players' careers, giving them some time away from hard knocks to heal themselves. Is it different for goalies? Is it the new rules? The new equipment?
It's worth kicking around today, too, here in Leafs country, given that the backup Tellqvist, with a .924 percentage in eight games, has been more consistent than Belfour, who checks in at .898 in 24 games. The Belfour-Telly goalkeeping questions are old news here and on the TML message boards, where they're already looking ahead to how this plays out in 06-07.
And speaking of goalies in the news, what a great time to trot out this Patrick Lalime flashback from Jay Jardine at Battle of Ontario. James Mirtle looks at the suspects being trotted out to replace Dan Cloutier. And Canucks Op Ed reinterprets a classic: Cloutier, on a cart, murmuring "I'm not dead yet."
Haven't seen much on Belfour vs. Telly in the prints, but I'm sure that will come once the Olympic team speculation concerning the three or four spots that might be up for grabs is settled next Wednesday. Damien Cox makes the case against including Todd Bertuzzi this morning.
Forget the Olympic team. Here's a debate I like: How much is Wayne Gretzky's crusty underwear worth?
The other story making headlines is Ted Saskin addressing the NHL's board of governors, and the revenue projections going up (big surprise there). I know it's important to know how much money the Leafs will have to waste on next summer's equivalent of Tie Domi and Belfour, and you're welcome to chime in here on it. But those revenue numbers were in all likelihood cooked over a low heat, and the cap figures you'll see out of them are way premature, as ace bloggers Eric McErlain and Tom Benjamin have already suggested. So I'll take a pass.
(C.Y.)
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